1978 Convertible Alignment Issues

[MN Lady Bug]

After three weeks of working on my 1978 SB Convertible (very off and on), I got it all back together today and ready for a road test. I knew shortly into it that I am having some rather major alignment problems. I am going to summarize the work I did in the last three weeks (some of it clearly not related to this issue) just to help give the most clear picture.

-Converted front brakes from stock drum to disc brakes. This included:
- New master cylinder (old one was leaking)
- New rotors, inner and outer wheel bearings
- New calipers, shoes and mounting plate for caliper
- New braided brake lines
- The stock steering knuckle/spindle were re-used.

-While I had all of this apart for the brakes, I decided to do some major (for me) suspension work that has long been needed to be done. Suspension work included:
- New struts, reused springs, reused stock base piece strut sits in
- Removed control arms, had old bushings/ ball joints pressed out, installed new bushings and had new ball joints pressed in. The pressing work was done in a machine shop. The bushings I used are the red ones that are highly recommended as being better than the stock ones. They did not have to be pressed in, you put half in each side and they meet in the middle.

- I also installed new bushings that came with the kit on the sway bar where it mounts on the frame as well as where it connects to the control arm.

- The tie rods were replaced a few years ago and were in fine condition so the were reused. I did not change the length of these at all while they were disconnected from the car, just reconnected them to the same pieces.

That summarizes all work/ parts that I put in. Now for a summary of what I have done so far with my alignment issue. When I took the car for the initial road test, I noticed that the tires were makes a burning rubber noise when I was driving straight (like when you make a fast turn and the tires squeal a little). I got the car back in the driveway and noted that the bottom of the tire was too far in towards the car and the top of the tire was too far out from the car. This was the case on both front tires.

I loosened the camber nut and turned the bolt so that the control arm pushed out from the car and tightened the nut again. I confirmed that the offset washer turned the same on each side (front and back of control arm). I did this on each side of the car. One note, I didn't feel/ see a ton of movement in the last 25% of adjustment if that makes sense.

This helped a little, but it's still really far off. I loosened the two bolts that hold the strut base to the steering knuckle to see if there was some adjustment there. I think this helped a little, but not enough.

Final note. I am not trying to do my own front end alignment, I just want to have this thing done enough so that I can drive it to the shop where the tires will be balanced and a full, proper front end alignment will be completed.

Is there an order that I am supposed to be tightening this stuff to all the tire to be out the most? The sway bar took some muscle to get back in, but I believe I have it in correctly.

I feel that with respect to the suspension, I only replaced the struts, had new ball joints installed and new bushings. All of this replaced seemingly identical parts. But this thing is way off, too far for me to be comfortable driving to the shop for the full job. I know I could get it towed, but I want to understand this and think that I should be able to get it driveable on my own.

So with all of that, help please ?!

[andk5591]

Check your toe. Front of tires should be in about 1/8" more (total) than the rear of the tire. That should get you to the shop. Have never had camber be that bog of an issue. But if you want to get it closer, use one of those cheap angle finders and wih the car on a level surface (side to side) set it straight up - as in perpendicular to the ground.
_________________
D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...

[MN Lady Bug]

I appreciate the response. Does anything come to mind that would cause the front camber to be so off, or can toe contribute to the wheel tilt I am having? I can do the toe adjustment, but I am more concerned that the camber has changed so much and that the adjustment alone doesn't seem to be correcting it.

Finally, even though it doesn't sound great, do you think that I will probably be okay driving this to the shop down the road (just under a mile)? I would just assume have them do all of this at once since I am going to have to pay the same whether I get it somewhat close to correcting this or not at all.

[MN Lady Bug]

Not that anyone is responding to this it seems, but an update:

After looking at the car at the advice of the person that replied, the passengers side tire was turned sharply in when the drivers was straight. this was causing 90% of my issues. I adjusted the tie rod a bit and it's lots better, I am not afraid to drive it to the frame shop now.

[andk5591]

OK - good - If you just replaced the bushings you should not have anything major wrong. The toe does not impact the camber though. But sometimes things just look funny. Had that on a super I recently did the full fron end rebuild. Camber looked off. was with the tech when he did the alignment and I had it all pretty close.
_________________
D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...

[MN Lady Bug]

Yes, it seems that sometimes things do look funny. My driveway is pretty level across. When the car is parked in one spot the passengers side camber looks a tad too far out, when parked in another it looks too far in, who knows.

My shop down the road has the software to tune everything up exactly so I am hoping they get it all squared away. I'll update when I get it back.

Thanks !